Seeking Advice: 2013 Kia Forte with Possible Fuel Pump Issue

Hey there! I totally get your predicament, had a somewhat similar experience with my 2016 Kia Optima. It all lined up from the check engine light to the slow start and erratic engine behavior. Turned out it was indeed the fuel pump. But it wasn't just a simple case of a faulty fuel pump, the software values for the fuel pump were incorrect. I found out that these incorrect values mess with the ECU and can lead to the pump delivering less or more fuel than required, hence the erratic behavior and the power loss. These values needed to be re-calibrated in my case. Mind you, it's not something that you'd want to postpone to fix as it might lead to further complications down the line. Heck, you mentioned that your car won't start up anymore. That's one serious issue! I would strongly advise getting it to a reputable garage pronto. Not trying to scare ya. I'm just a bloke sharing his experience. Best of luck with your Forte, hope it gets sorted soon! Cheers!

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience - not gonna lie, it actually sounds kinda spot on with what I'm facing. I didn't think about the ECU side of things, really didn't seem that complicated before. You've hit the nail on the head about the seriousness—the non-starting car ain't just annoying, it's a nightmare! Just curious, do you recall roughly what it set you back to fix the fuel pump and the ECU calibration? And also, from the time you got it fixed, did anything else pop up or was it smooth sailing? Looking forward to your reply, cheers!

Hey! Glad to hear my past experience could shine a bit of light on your current situation. When it came to the price tag, it broke down to around 45.00 € for the ECU recalibration due to the incorrect software values for the fuel pump. After that, I'm happy to report it was smooth sailing indeed! On getting my Kia back on track, there was nothing else that cropped up related to this issue. The mechanic did a bang-up job, no more signs of any glitch with the fuel pump. The car's been running like a dream, and I'm confident it'll stay that way. It comes down to finding a mechanic you trust to do a bloody good job. I hope your ride gets back on the road soon. Best of luck with the fix! Cheers!

Wow, thanks again for the wealth of information! Feeling much more confident about this now. Your clarity on the price and the outcome is a real relief, especially to hear that it's been smooth sailing since. I'll be prioritizing a mechanic that not only understands my concerns but one who can also sort out the ECU recalibration on top of the fuel pump. That's definitely top of my list. I'll make sure to follow up on your advice and I'm feeling hopeful the Forte will soon be back to its ol' reliable self. I can't thank you enough for sharing your experience. It’s a huge help! Let's hope I can return the favour someday. Safe driving! Cheers!